Mumbai airport’s world-class terminal inaugurated

After missing several deadlines in past three years and incurring over 32 per cent cost escalation, the new international terminal (T2) at the Mumbai airport is all set to be inaugurated tomorrow, promising to provide fliers a whole new experience with its features.(IE Photo: Pradip Das)

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will dedicate the terminal, a spanking four-storey glass marvel, whose design has been inspired by a dancing peacock, to the nation.(IE Photo: Pradip Das)

The T2 has come up at a whopping investment of Rs 9,800 crore as against initial projection of Rs 7,452 crore. (IE Photo: Pradip Das)

The sprawling premises boasts of tens of thousands of artifacts and paintings, housing arguably one the largest collections in the world at an airport. (IE Photo: Pradip Das)

The most attractive feature of the swanky terminal is the museum of artifacts. Stretching along a 3-km art wall, the museum houses over 7,000 artifacts collected from over 1,500 artists across the country.(IE Photo: Pradip Das)

The inauguration ceremony was attended by political heavyweights like NCP President and Union Minister Sharad Pawar, Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh and Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan. (IE Photo: Vasant Prabhu)

T2 has been designed to cater to an estimated 40 million passengers annually. (IE Photo: Vasant Prabhu)

PM inaugurates the T2. (IE Photo: Vasant Prabhu)

One of the country's busiest airports currently caters 32 million passengers a year. (IE Photo: Vasant Prabhu)

Under the privatisation policy of UPA-I Government the Delhi and Mumbai airports were given to private parities for modernisation in 2006. (IE Photo: Vasant Prabhu)

While a GVK-led consortium bagged the contract for Mumbai airport, the Delhi airport went to a GMR-led entity. (IE Photo: Vasant Prabhu)

Even after privatisation, the state-run Airports Authority of India hold 26 per cent stake each in these two airports. (PTI)

The state-of-the-art T2 will be larger than Singapore's Changi T3 (3.80 lakh sqm) and London's Heathrow T5 (3.53 lakh sqm). (PTI)

It will be able to accommodate 9,900 passengers during peak hours. (PTI)

It has a 7-lakh sq ft area of retail space, lounges and travel services. (AP)

Inaugurating a plush integrated terminal of Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport here which cost Rs 9,800 crore,Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said, "India's infrastructure needs are enormous. The infrastructure deficit in the country is considered as a serious constraint limiting our rate of economic growth." (AP)

Even after privatisation, the state-run Airports Authority of India hold 26 per cent stake each in these two airports. (AP)

The state-of-the-art T2 will be larger than Singapore's Changi T3 (3.80 lakh sqm) and London's Heathrow T5 (3.53 lakh sqm). (AP)

It will be able to accommodate 9,900 passengers during peak hours. (IE Photo: Vasant Prabhu)

It has a 7-lakh sq ft area of retail space, lounges and travel services. (AP)

The Rs 12,500-crore modernisation and development work of the Mumbai airport actually began in 2008 and was scheduledto be completed in 2010. (PTI)